JP2019209930A - Steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a steering device which can execute proper impact absorption action.SOLUTION: A steering device 10 includes: a steering shaft 20; a column tube 40; a housing 50; and a protruding part 45. The column tube 40 rotatably holds the steering shaft 20 and moves in an axial direction in conjunction with extension and contraction of the steering shaft 20. The housing 50 holds the column tube 40 in a manner that the column tube 40 can move in the axial direction. The protruding part 45 is fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40 and at least partially located at an inner side of the housing 50. The protruding part 45 is brought into contact with a first contact part 54a of the housing 50 to determine a front end position of an axial movable range of the column tube 40. The protruding member 45 is formed by a material having rigidity lower than those of the column tube 40 and the housing 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering device mounted on a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a steering device mounted on a vehicle, which has a structure for absorbing an impact of a collision (secondary collision) on a steering wheel of a driver caused by a vehicle collision, is known. For example, the steering device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an inner column that rotatably holds a steering shaft, and an outer column that is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the inner column. The inner column is fixed to the outer column by three shear pins. In this steering device, when a driver collides with the steering wheel and a large impact force is applied, the shaft portion of the shear pin is sheared, and the inner column collapsingly moves to the front side of the vehicle body. That is, the impact energy is absorbed by the shearing force of the shaft portion of the shear pin when the secondary collision occurs.

Japanese Patent No. 5338854

  Some steering apparatuses have a mechanism (telescopic mechanism) for adjusting the position of the steering wheel in the front-rear direction. For example, a column tube that rotatably holds the steering shaft moves relative to a housing that holds the column tube on the inside. As a result, the steering shaft expands and contracts, and as a result, the position of the steering wheel attached to the rear end (end of the driver's seat) of the steering shaft moves in the front-rear direction.

  In the steering apparatus having the above configuration, since the column tube needs to be movable with respect to the housing in a normal state, the column tube cannot be fixed to the housing with a member such as the conventional shear pin. Thus, for example, a structure in which a long hole (long hole) is provided in the axial direction in the column tube and a resin pin fixed to the housing is inserted into the long hole of the column tube is conceivable. According to this structure, the resin pin can play a role of regulating the movement range (telescopic stroke) in the telescopic operation of the column tube and absorbing the impact energy at the time of the secondary collision. However, in this case, since the elongated hole is provided in the column tube, there arises a problem that, for example, the rigidity of the column tube is lowered. In addition, since the resin pin is used as a stopper in normal telescopic operation, the fixing force of the resin pin to the housing is loosened, and as a result, the impact energy may not be absorbed as designed because the resin pin is sheared. There is. In order to suppress the loosening of the fixing force, it is conceivable to fix the resin pin to the housing using another member such as a screw. In this case, the number of parts of the steering device is increased or the steering device is assembled. This causes problems such as complications.

  The present invention has been made by the inventors of the present application newly paying attention to the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steering device capable of executing an appropriate shock absorbing operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, a steering device according to an aspect of the present invention is a steering device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a steering shaft that can be expanded and contracted in an axial direction, the steering shaft rotatably held, And a column tube that moves in the axial direction as the steering shaft expands and contracts, and a housing that is supported by the vehicle body of the vehicle, the housing holding the column tube movably in the axial direction; A protruding member that is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the column tube and that is at least partially positioned on the inner side of the housing, the axial direction of the column tube by contacting the first contact portion of the housing And a projecting member for determining a front end position in the movement range of the column tube, and the projecting member includes the column tube and the hub. It is formed with a lower rigidity material than managing.

  According to the steering device according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform an appropriate shock absorbing operation.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the steering device which concerns on embodiment. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a steering device according to an embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view of a steering device concerning an embodiment. It is a bottom view of the steering device concerning an embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the VV cross section in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure outline | summary of the steering device which concerns on the modification 1 of embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure outline | summary of the steering device which concerns on the modification 2 of embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications thereof will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the embodiments and modifications described below is a comprehensive or specific example. Numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of components, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments and modifications, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept are described as optional constituent elements.

  In addition, the drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis, omission, ratio adjustment, or the like is appropriately performed to show the present invention, and may differ from actual shapes, positional relationships, and ratios. Furthermore, in the following embodiments and claims, expressions indicating relative directions or postures, such as parallel and orthogonal, may be used, but these expressions are strictly the directions or postures. Including cases that are not. For example, two directions being parallel means not only that the two directions are completely parallel but also substantially parallel, that is, including a difference of, for example, several percent. Also means.

(Embodiment)
First, the general configuration of the steering apparatus 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a steering apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the steering device 10 according to the embodiment. 1 and 2, the steering wheel 25 is illustrated in a simplified manner.

  In the following description, the simple term “axial direction” means a direction parallel to the central axis of the steering shaft 20 (in this embodiment, the X-axis direction). For example, “front” means the direction of the front side (X axis minus side) of the vehicle on which the steering device 10 is mounted, and “rear” means the direction of the opposite side (X axis plus side), for example. To do. For example, the steering wheel 25 is expressed as being attached to the rear end (rear end) of the steering shaft 20.

  The steering device 10 according to the present embodiment is a device mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle is an automobile such as an ordinary passenger car, a bus, or a truck. In addition, a vehicle is not limited to a motor vehicle, For example, a construction machine or an agricultural machine etc. may be sufficient.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the steering device 10 includes a steering shaft 20 and a column jacket 30 that holds the steering shaft 20 so as to be rotatable and extendable. The steering shaft 20 includes an upper shaft 21 and a lower shaft 22 to which a steering wheel 25 is attached. The lower shaft 22 is fitted to the upper shaft 21 so as to be movable in the axial direction by, for example, spline fitting. As the upper shaft 21 moves in the axial direction with respect to the lower shaft 22, the steering shaft 20 expands and contracts in the axial direction. Further, an intermediate shaft (not shown) is connected to the front end portion of the lower shaft 22, and the rotation of the steering wheel 25 is transmitted to a steering mechanism (not shown) via the steering shaft 20 and the intermediate shaft. .

  The column jacket 30 includes a column tube 40 and a housing 50. The column tube 40 is a cylindrical member that rotatably holds the steering shaft 20 and moves in the axial direction as the steering shaft 20 expands and contracts. Specifically, the column tube 40 fixes the upper shaft 21 of the steering shaft 20 in the axial direction and supports it rotatably. Further, the column tube 40 is held in the housing 50 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and when the steering wheel 25 is moved in the axial direction in adjusting the position of the steering wheel 25 in the axial direction, the upper shaft 21 is moved. It moves in the axial direction with the column tube 40. At this time, the upper shaft 21 slides in the axial direction with respect to the lower shaft 22 so that the steering shaft 20 expands and contracts. As described above, when the axial position of the steering wheel 25 is adjusted, the steering shaft 20 expands and contracts as the column jacket 30 expands and contracts.

  The housing 50 is a cylindrical member that is supported by the vehicle body of the vehicle and holds the column tube 40. Specifically, a bracket 80 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 50, and the housing 50 is supported by the vehicle body via the bracket 80 with the column tube 40 held inside. Further, a bracket 70 separate from the housing 50 is attached to the housing 50, and a tightening force by the tightening mechanism 60 acts through a pair of plate members 71 and 72 included in the bracket 70. Each of the brackets 70 and 80 is fixed to the vehicle body by bolts or the like.

  The tightening mechanism 60 is a clamp mechanism for fixing (locking) the column tube 40 to the housing 50. The tightening mechanism 60 includes an operation lever 61 that switches between applying and releasing a tightening force to the plate members 71 and 72, a tightening pin 62 that passes through the plate members 71 and 72 and the housing 50, a rotating cam (not shown), and the like. Have. When the operation lever 61 is rotated in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), the application and release of the tightening force are switched.

  For example, when the operation lever 61 in a lowered state is raised, the tightening mechanism 60 tightens the housing 50 in the radial direction via the plate members 71 and 72. Thereby, the housing 50 is reduced in diameter, and the inner column tube 40 is tightened in the radial direction. As a result, the axial movement of the column tube 40 relative to the housing 50 during normal operation is restricted. That is, the axial position of the steering wheel 25 is fixed. Further, when the operation lever 61 in the raised state is lowered, the tightening force by the tightening mechanism 60 is released, and the column tube 40 is movable in the axial direction with respect to the housing 50.

  More specifically, the housing 50 is formed with a slit 51 for facilitating deformation according to the presence or absence of a tightening force by the tightening mechanism 60. Specifically, the slit 51 extends from the rear end of the cylindrical housing 50 to the central portion of the housing 50 in the axial direction. Thereby, in the range in which the slit 51 is formed, the rigidity of the housing 50 is reduced, and the housing 50 is easily deformed when tightened by the tightening mechanism 60. As a result, the tightening force by the tightening mechanism 60 can be efficiently applied to the column tube 40 inside the housing 50, whereby the column tube 40 can be more reliably locked.

  Here, when the locking of the column tube 40 by the tightening mechanism 60 is released, the column tube 40 can move in the axial direction with respect to the housing 50, thereby adjusting the position of the steering wheel 25 in the axial direction. Is possible. In the steering apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, a projecting member 45 fixed to the column tube 40 is used to regulate the axial movement range of the column tube 40 during the position adjustment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the projecting member 45 has a head 45a and a shaft 45b. The protruding member 45 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface by inserting a head 45 a into an attachment hole 41 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40. In this state, the head portion 45a protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40, and the head portion 45a is inserted into the groove portion 52 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50. The movement range in the axial direction is restricted.

  Hereinafter, the structure etc. regarding the protruding member 45 in the steering device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the steering device 10 according to the embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the protruding member 45 and its surrounding structure in the III-III cross section shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the steering device 10 according to the embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the steering apparatus 10 in the range shown in FIG. 3, and elements inside the housing 50 such as the groove 52, the column tube 40, and the fastening pin 62 are represented by broken lines. ing. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a VV cross section in FIG. In FIG. 5, the illustration of the steering shaft 20 is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, in a state in which the column tube 40 is disposed inside the housing 50, the protruding member 45 fixed to the column tube 40 is a groove 52 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50. It is possible to move in the interior space. That is, when the column tube 40 moves in the axial direction with respect to the housing 50, the protruding member 45 moves along the groove 52.

  In the present embodiment, the wall portion at the front end of the groove portion 52 functions as a first contact portion 54 a that restricts the forward movement of the protruding member 45. That is, the column tube 40 moves forward (leftward in FIGS. 3 and 4), so that the head 45a of the protruding member 45 comes into contact with the first contact portion 54a. As a result, the column tube 40 cannot move forward from the position by the normal force of the driver. The wall portion at the rear end of the groove portion 52 functions as a second contact portion 54 b that restricts the rearward movement of the protruding member 45. That is, when the column tube 40 moves rearward (rightward in FIGS. 3 and 4), the head portion 45a of the protruding member 45 comes into contact with the second contact portion 54b. As a result, the column tube 40 cannot move rearward of the position with the normal force of the driver.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the protruding member 45 fixed to the column tube 40 is attached to a part of the housing 50 outside the column tube 40 (first contact portion 54a or second contact portion 54b). By being caught, the movement of the column tube 40 forward or backward is restricted. That is, the projecting member 45 regulates the movement range (telescopic stroke) in the telescopic operation of the column jacket 30 having the housing 50 and the column tube 40.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the groove 52 is provided along the slit 51 of the housing 50. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the groove 52 is provided so as to straddle the slit 51, and a part of the slit 51 overlaps with the groove 52 in the bottom view. In other words, at least a part of the slit 51 is formed on the bottom surface 52 b of the groove 52. Therefore, for example, the groove portion 52 can be formed by inserting a tool for cutting the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50 into the slit 51.

  In this embodiment, in order to insert the protruding member 45 into the groove portion 52 having wall portions at the front end and the rear end, in this embodiment, the column tube 40 is inserted into the housing 50 and then the protruding member 45 is inserted into the column tube 40. Is attached. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the housing 50 has an insertion hole 55 that penetrates the bottom surface 52 b of the groove 52. Specifically, the insertion hole 55 is formed in the housing 50 at a position where the protruding member 45 can pass at a position where the slit 51 and the groove 52 overlap.

  In this case, the protruding member 45 is attached to the column tube 40 in the following procedure. First, the column tube 40 is inserted into the housing 50 until the mounting hole 41 of the column tube 40 is visible from the insertion hole 55 of the housing 50. Thereafter, the shaft portion 45 b of the protruding member 45 is fitted into the mounting hole 41 exposed from the insertion hole 55. More specifically, the projecting member 45 is made of, for example, resin, and the umbrella-shaped tip portion of the shaft portion 45b is inserted into the mounting hole 41 while being reduced in diameter by elastic deformation. The protruding member 45 is fixed to the column tube 40 by returning the tip portion to the original shape. Further, in this state, the head portion 45a of the protruding member 45 is accommodated in the range of the depth (the radial width) of the groove portion 52 and can move in the groove portion 52 in the axial direction.

  The position of the insertion hole 55 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. For example, the insertion hole 55 may be provided at a position where the slit 51 and the groove 52 overlap and at the front end of the slit 51 (the leftmost portion in FIG. 4).

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, at least a part of the protruding member 45 is disposed inside the housing 50. In the present embodiment, since the groove 52 is formed at a position overlapping with the slit 51, when viewed from the slit 51 side, at least portions on both sides of the slit 51 are covered with the housing 50. Therefore, the housing 50 functions as a member that suppresses removal or rattling of the protruding member 45.

  Here, the protruding member 45 is formed of, for example, a resin as described above, and has a rigidity capable of withstanding an impact generated by an expansion / contraction operation (telescopic operation) of the column jacket 30 for adjusting the position of the steering wheel 25. doing. That is, for example, when the driver unlocks the column tube 40 and pushes and pulls the steering wheel 25 with a normal force, the protruding member 45 repeatedly contacts the first contact portion 54a and the second contact portion 54b. Even in this case, the projecting member 45 is not damaged or plastically deformed.

  However, when a collision (secondary collision) of the driver with the steering wheel 25 caused by the collision of the vehicle occurs, the protruding member 45 is sheared by colliding with the first contact portion 54a. At least part of the impact energy from the next collision is absorbed. Specifically, during the secondary collision, the projecting member 45 roughly includes a shaft portion 45b fixed to the mounting hole 41 of the column tube 40, and a head portion 45a protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40. Divided into That is, when the projecting member 45 collides with the first contact part 54a or the second contact part 54b due to a secondary collision, the projecting member 45 does not destroy the column tube 40 and the housing 50 (the projecting member). 45) is configured to be destroyed.

  That is, when a secondary collision occurs, the column tube 40 moves forward against the tightening force of the tightening mechanism 60, and the protruding member 45 fixed to the column tube 40 is sheared. It stops at a predetermined position later. The protruding member 45 functions as a resistance member (that is, an impact energy absorbing member) from the start to the stop of the forward movement of the column tube 40.

  In addition, the raw material of the protruding member 45 which exhibits such a function is not limited to resin. For example, when the column tube 40 and the housing 50 are formed of a hard metal such as steel or stainless steel, a soft metal such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy may be employed as the material of the protruding member 45. For example, a bolt that is a protruding member may be fixed to the column tube 40 by screwing an aluminum alloy bolt into a screw hole (mounting hole 41) of the column tube 40 formed of stainless steel. In this case, the screw shaft of the bolt functions as the shaft portion of the projecting member, and the head of the bolt functions as the head of the projecting member.

  That is, the protruding member 45 only needs to be formed of a material having lower rigidity than the column tube 40 and the housing 50. Thereby, the projecting member 45 can be sheared, that is, the impact energy can be absorbed by the shearing stress generated by the column tube 40 moving with respect to the housing 50 at the time of the secondary collision. Further, the column tube 40 and the housing 50 are unlikely to be broken or plastically deformed due to the protruding member 45 being sheared. Therefore, for example, the possibility that the column tube 40 behaves unexpectedly after the projecting member 45 is sheared is low. That is, there is a high possibility that the operation (impact absorbing operation) for absorbing the impact energy in the steering device 10 including the shearing of the protruding member 45 is executed as designed.

  As described above, the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment is a steering device 10 mounted on a vehicle, and includes a steering shaft 20 that can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction, a column tube 40, a housing 50, and a bump. Shaped member 45. The column tube 40 rotatably holds the steering shaft 20 and moves in the axial direction as the steering shaft 20 expands and contracts. The housing 50 is supported by the vehicle body of the vehicle and holds the column tube 40 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The protruding member 45 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40, and at least a part thereof is positioned inside the housing 50. The projecting member 45 determines the front end position in the axial movement range of the column tube 40 by contacting the first contact portion 54 a of the housing 50. The projecting member 45 is made of a material having lower rigidity than the column tube 40 and the housing 50.

  According to this configuration, the protruding member 45 fixed to the column tube 40 determines at least the front end position of the movement range (telescopic stroke) in the telescopic operation of the column tube 40 with respect to the housing 50. Further, since the protruding member 45 is fixed to the column tube 40, for example, it is not necessary to form a long hole in the column tube 40 into which a conventional resin pin for regulating a telescopic stroke is inserted. Therefore, in the column tube 40, the rigidity is not lowered due to the presence of the long hole, and as a result, the tightening force of the housing 50 on the column tube 40 effectively acts as a force for locking the column tube 40. Further, the difference (unevenness) in rigidity in the axial direction of the column tube 40 due to the presence of the long holes does not occur. Therefore, for example, the column tube 40 is stably locked by the housing 50 at any position within the range of the telescopic stroke.

  Further, since the projecting member 45 is formed of a material having lower rigidity than the column tube 40 and the housing 50, for example, when the secondary collision occurs, the projecting member 45 becomes the first contact portion 54a of the housing 50. When projecting, the projecting member 45 is sheared by the impact. That is, the protruding member 45 that functions as a stopper in the normal telescopic operation of the column tube 40 can function as an impact energy absorbing member at the time of a secondary collision.

  Here, since the protruding member 45 is used as a stopper in a normal telescopic operation, for example, the fixing force of the protruding member 45 to the column tube 40 may be reduced. However, in the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment, at least a part of the protruding member 45 is located inside the housing 50. Accordingly, at least a part of the projecting member 45 is covered with the housing 50, and thereby, for example, occurrence of detachment or rattling of the projecting member 45 is suppressed without using other members such as screws. . Therefore, the possibility that the protruding member 45 is sheared as designed is increased. That is, the possibility that the impact energy is absorbed by the projecting member 45 when the secondary collision occurs is increased as designed.

  Thus, according to the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to execute an appropriate shock absorbing operation.

  Further, in the steering apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the housing 50 further includes a groove portion 52 that extends in the axial direction on the inner peripheral surface and allows the protruding member 45 to pass in the axial direction. 54 a is located at the front end of the groove 52 in the axial direction.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the elongated groove portion 52 is provided in the axial direction on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50, and is provided in a protruding shape from the column tube 40 as shown in FIG. 5, for example. The protruding member 45 is accommodated in the groove 52. Therefore, the column tube 40 can be incorporated into the housing 50 so that the protruding member 45 moves along the groove 52 and the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40 is along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50. Therefore, for example, it is easy to ensure the normal telescopic operation of the column tube 40 or the stability or linearity of movement of the column tube 40 when a secondary collision occurs.

  Further, in the steering apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the housing 50 further has a slit 51 that extends from the rear end of the housing 50 along the axial direction, and at least a part is formed in the bottom surface 52 b of the groove portion 52. .

  In the present embodiment, the slit 51 has a function of making the housing 50 easier to deform when tightened by the tightening mechanism 60 as described above. That is, in the present embodiment, the groove portion 52 is provided at a position overlapping the slit 51 that ensures the locking of the column tube 40 by the tightening mechanism 60. Thereby, a cutting tool for forming the groove 52 can be inserted from the slit 51. As a result, the formation of the groove 52, which is an element for the impact absorbing operation in the steering device 10, is facilitated.

  Further, in the steering apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the housing 50 is further an insertion hole 55 formed at a position where the slit 51 and the groove 52 overlap, and the insertion hole 55 penetrating the bottom surface 52 b of the groove 52. Have The insertion hole 55 is formed in a size that allows the protruding member 45 to pass therethrough.

  According to this configuration, even if the outer diameter of the column tube 40 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the housing 50 and the groove 52 does not reach the rear end of the housing 50 as in the present embodiment, The protruding member 45 can be fixed. That is, the protruding member 45 can be retrofitted to the column tube 40 inserted into the housing 50 through the insertion hole 55. In this case, the wall portion at the rear end of the groove portion 52 can function as the second contact portion 54b that regulates the rear end position in the movement range in the axial direction of the column tube 40.

  That is, in the steering device 10 according to the present embodiment, the housing 50 further includes a second contact portion 54 b located at the rear end in the axial direction of the groove portion 52. The projecting member 45 determines the rear end position in the axial movement range of the column tube 40 by contacting the second contact portion 54b.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the projecting member 45 fixed to the column tube 40 contacts the second contact portion 54b of the housing 50, so that the rear end of the column tube 40 in a normal telescopic operation is obtained. The position is determined. Therefore, for example, it is not necessary to use a separate member for preventing the column tube 40 from coming off from the housing 50.

  Although the steering device 10 according to the embodiment has been described above, the steering device 10 may include a protruding member or the like having a mode different from the mode illustrated in FIGS. Therefore, in the following, a modified example related to the projecting member will be described focusing on differences from the above embodiment.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the steering device 10a according to the first modification of the embodiment. In the steering device 10 a shown in FIG. 6, the projecting member 45 is fixed to the column tube 40, and the projecting member 45 is configured to move along a groove portion 52 a provided in the housing 50. This structure is common to the steering apparatus 10 according to the above embodiment.

  However, in the steering apparatus 10 a according to the present modification, the groove 52 a extends from the rear end of the housing 50 along the axial direction and is formed at a position different from the slit 51. In these points, the steering device 10a according to the present modification is different from the steering device 10 according to the above-described embodiment. Even in such a configuration, the protruding member 45 fixed to the column tube 40 abuts on the wall portion of the front end of the groove 52a, whereby the front end position in the movement range in the column tube 40 axial direction is determined. . That is, the wall portion at the front end of the groove portion 52a can function as the first contact portion 54a. Further, since the projecting member 45 is entirely covered by the housing 50, the occurrence of the detachment or rattling of the projecting member 45 is more reliably suppressed. Therefore, when the projecting member 45 collides with the first contact portion 54a during the secondary collision, the possibility that the projecting member 45 is sheared as designed is increased. That is, the possibility that the shock absorbing operation in the steering device 10a is executed as designed is increased.

  Further, in the present modification, the groove portion 52 extends from the rear end of the housing 50, so that the column tube 40 can be inserted into the housing 50 after the protruding member 45 is fixed to the column tube 40. Therefore, for example, various operations for fixing the protruding member 45 such as welding the protruding member 45 to the column tube 40 or fixing the protruding member 45 to the column tube 40 using a special tool. Easy to do.

  In this modification, when the projecting member 45 moves rearward, the groove 52a and the projecting member 45 are not engaged with each other. For example, another member for preventing the projecting member 45 from coming out of the groove 52a is housed. 50 may be arranged. Further, a mechanism for restricting the backward movement of the column tube 40 in the normal telescopic operation without using the protruding member 45 may be provided.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a steering apparatus 10b according to the second modification of the embodiment. Specifically, in FIG. 7, a cross section of the column jacket 30 in the YZ plane passing through the protruding member 46 is illustrated. Further, in FIG. 7, illustration of the steering shaft 20 is omitted.

  In the steering device 10 b according to this modification, the protruding member 46 is fixed to the column tube 40, and the protruding member 46 is moved along a slit 51 provided in the housing 50. In other words, in this modification, the groove portion that forms the movement space of the protruding member 46 is not provided in the housing 50, and the slit 51 for enhancing the deformability of the housing 50 is moved in the axial direction. It is used as a space to make it happen.

  Further, the projecting member 46 has a flange portion 46c in addition to the head portion 46a and the shaft portion 46b. The flange portion 46c is a portion larger than the head portion 46a and the shaft portion 46b when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft portion 46b (Z-axis direction in FIG. 7), and as shown in FIG. It is a part located in.

  The column tube 40 to which the projecting member 46 thus configured is fixed is provided with a mounting hole 42 having a hole through which the shaft portion 46b passes and a step for accommodating the flange portion 46c. That is, in the state where the protruding member 46 is fixed to the column tube 40, the flange portion 46 c is accommodated in the mounting hole 42 and thus does not protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40. Therefore, in the column jacket 30 configured such that the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40 is along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50, the flange portion 46 c does not hinder the movement of the column tube 40.

  Further, since the protruding member 46 has the flange portion 46 c located inside the housing 50, the occurrence of detachment from the column tube 40 or rattling is suppressed. Thereby, the possibility that the shock absorbing operation in the steering device 10b is executed as designed is increased.

  As described above, in the steering device 10b according to this modification, it is not necessary to provide the housing 50 with the groove portion for moving the protruding member 46 in the axial direction, and the protruding shape is obtained by using the slit 51 provided in the housing 50. The member 46 is moved.

  In this case, the front end portion of the slit 51 functions as a first contact portion that restricts the forward movement of the protruding member 46. Therefore, for example, the front end position of the column tube 40 in a normal telescopic operation can be changed by changing the position (axial position) of the protruding member 46 in the column tube 40.

  In this modified example, when the projecting member 46 moves rearward, the slit 51 and the projecting member 46 do not engage with each other. For example, another member for preventing the projecting member 46 from coming out of the slit 51 is housed. 50 may be arranged. Further, a mechanism for regulating the rear end position in the normal telescopic operation of the column tube 40 without using the protruding member 46 may be provided.

(Other embodiments)
The steering device according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment and the modifications thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications. Without departing from the gist of the present invention, various modifications conceived by those skilled in the art may be applied to the above-described embodiments or modifications, or a form constructed by combining a plurality of the constituent elements described above. Is included in the range.

  For example, the space in which the protruding member 45 moves in the housing 50 may be formed by a structure different from the groove or the slit. For example, it is assumed that a cross section of the internal space of the housing 50 (a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction) is elliptical, and the column tube 40 having a circular outer shape is inserted into the elliptical internal space. In this case, a gap extending in the axial direction between the outer peripheral surface of the column tube 40 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50 is generated at the end portion in the major axis direction of the elliptical internal space. Therefore, this gap may be used as a space in which the protruding member 45 moves. Further, in this case, a wall portion that abuts against the protruding member 45 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 50 so that the wall portion is restricted to the first or rearward movement of the column tube 40 forward or backward. It can function as a contact part or a second contact part.

  Further, the number of the protruding members 45 included in the steering device 10 may be two or more. For example, the groove portions 52 and 52a are formed in the housing 50, and the protruding member 45 (see FIGS. 2 to 5) that moves inside the groove portion 52 and the protrusion that moves inside the groove portion 52a are formed on the column tube 40. The shaped member 45 (see FIG. 6) may be fixed. That is, in this case, impact energy is absorbed by shearing the two protruding members 45 at the time of the secondary collision.

  In the steering device 10 according to the embodiment, the column tube 40 and the housing 50 are cylindrical, but these shapes are not limited to a cylindrical shape. For example, the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the axial direction of the column tube 40 and the housing 50 may be a polygonal shape, an elliptical shape, an oval shape, or the like.

  The steering device according to the present invention is useful as a steering device that is provided in a vehicle such as an automobile and capable of adjusting the position of the steering wheel.

  10, 10a, 10b: Steering device, 20: Steering shaft, 21: Upper shaft, 22: Lower shaft, 25: Steering wheel, 30: Column jacket, 40: Column tube, 41, 42: Mounting hole, 45, 46: Protruding member, 45a, 46a: head, 45b, 46b: shaft, 46c: collar, 50: housing, 51: slit, 52, 52a: groove, 52b: bottom, 54a: first contact part, 54b : Second contact portion, 55: insertion hole, 60: tightening mechanism, 61: operation lever, 62: tightening pin, 70, 80: bracket, 71, 72: plate member

Claims (5)

A steering device mounted on a vehicle,
An axially extendable steering shaft;
A column tube that rotatably holds the steering shaft and moves in the axial direction as the steering shaft expands and contracts;
A housing supported by a vehicle body of the vehicle, the housing holding the column tube movably in the axial direction;
A protruding member that is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the column tube and at least a part of which is positioned inside the housing, and that is in contact with the first contact portion of the housing, whereby the axial direction of the column tube A projecting member that determines the front end position in the movement range of
The projecting member is formed of a material having lower rigidity than the column tube and the housing. The housing further includes a groove portion that extends in the axial direction on an inner peripheral surface and allows the protruding member to pass in the axial direction.
The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact portion is located at a front end of the groove portion in the axial direction. The steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the housing further includes a slit that extends from the rear end of the housing along the axial direction, and at least a part of the housing is formed on a bottom surface of the groove. The housing further includes an insertion hole formed at a position where the slit and the groove overlap, the insertion hole penetrating the bottom surface of the groove,
The steering device according to claim 3, wherein the insertion hole is formed to have a size through which the protruding member can pass. The housing further includes a second abutting portion located at a rear end in the axial direction of the groove portion,
The steering device according to claim 4, wherein the protruding member determines a rear end position in the axial movement range of the column tube by contacting the second contact portion.

Images